Information & Knowledge Technologies Business Unit Distributed Systems Technology Group Papers

Middleware for Distributed Systems

Evolving the Common Structure for Network-centric Applications

Citation: Schantz RE, Schmidt DC. Middleware for Distributed Systems - Evolving the Common Structure for Network-centric Applications. To appear.

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Abstract

Two fundamental trends influence the way we conceive and construct new computing and information systems. The first is that information technology of all forms is becoming highly commoditized i.e., hardware and software artifacts are getting faster, cheaper, and better at a relatively predictable rate. The second is the growing acceptance of a network-centric paradigm with the emergence of distributed systems where applications with a range of quality of service (QoS) needs are constructed by integrating separate components connected by various forms of communication services. The nature of this interconnection can range from

1. The very small and tightly coupled, such as avionics mission computing systems to
2. The very large and loosely coupled, such as global telecommunications systems.

The interplay of these two trends has yielded new architectural concepts and services embodying layers of middleware. These layers are interposed between applications and commonly available hardware and software infrastructure to make it feasible, easier, and more cost effective to develop and evolve systems using reusable software. Middleware stems from recognizing the need for more advanced and capable support-beyond simple connectivity-to construct effective distributed systems. A significant portion of middleware-oriented R&D activities over the past decade have focused on

1. The identification, evolution, and expansion of our understanding of current middleware services in providing this style of development and
2. The need for defining additional middleware layers and capabilities to meet the challenges associated with constructing future network-centric systems.

These activities are expected to continue forward well into this decade to address the needs of next-generation distributed applications.

During the past decade we've also benefited from the commoditization of hardware (such as CPUs and storage devices) and networking elements (such as IP routers). More recently, the maturation of programming languages (such as Java and C++), operating environments (such as POSIX and Java Virtual Machines), and enabling fundamental middleware based on previous middleware R&D (such as CORBA and Enterprise Java Beans) are helping to commoditize many software components and architectural layers. The quality of commodity software has generally lagged behind hardware, and more facets of middleware are being conceived as the complexity of application requirements increases, resulting in variations of maturity and capability across the layers needed to build working systems. Nonetheless, recent improvements in frameworks, patterns, and development processes have encapsulated the knowledge that enables common off-the-shelf (COTS) software to be developed, combined, and used in an increasing number of real-world applications, such as e-commerce web sites, consumer electronics, avionics mission computing, hot rolling mills, command and control planning systems, backbone routers, and high-speed network switches.

The trends outlined above are now yielding additional middleware challenges and opportunities for organizations and developers, both in deploying current middleware-based solutions and in inventing and shaping new ones. To complete our overview, we summarize key challenges and emerging opportunities for moving forward, and outline the role that middleware plays in meeting these challenges.

• Growing focus on integration rather than on programming - There is an ongoing trend away from programming applications from scratch to integrating them by configuring and customizing reusable components and frameworks. While it is possible in theory to program applications from scratch, economic and organizational constraints-as well as increasingly complex requirements and competitive pressures-are making it infeasible to do so in practice. Many applications in the future will therefore be configured by integrating reusable commodity hardware and software components implemented by different suppliers together with the common middleware substrate needed to make it all work harmoniously.
• Demand for end-to-end QoS support, not just component QoS - The need for autonomous and time-critical behavior in next-generation applications necessitates more flexible system infrastructure components that can adapt robustly to dynamic end-to-end changes in application requirements and environmental conditions. For example, next-generation applications will require the simultaneous satisfaction of multiple QoS properties, such as predictable latency/jitter/throughput, scalability, dependability, and security. Applications will also need different levels of QoS under different configurations, environmental conditions, and costs, and multiple QoS properties must be coordinated with and/or traded off against each other to achieve the intended application results. Improvements in current middleware QoS and better control over underlying hardware and software components-as well as additional middleware services to coordinate these-will all be needed.
• The increased viability of open systems - Shrinking profit margins and increasing shareholder pressure to cut costs are making it harder for companies to invest in long-term research that does not yield short-term pay offs. As a result, many companies can no longer afford the luxury of internal organizations that produce completely custom hardware and software components with proprietary QoS support. To fill this void, therefore, standards-based hardware and software researched and developed by third parties-and glued together by common middleware-is becoming increasingly strategic to many industries. This trend also requires companies to transition away from proprietary architectures to more open systems in order reap the benefits of externally developed components, while still maintaining an ability to compete with domain-specific solutions that can be differentiated and customized. The refactoring of much domain-independent middleware into open-source releases based on open standards is spurring the adoption of common software substrates in many industries. It is also emphasizing the role of domain knowledge in selecting, organizing, and optimizing appropriate middleware components for requirements in particular application domains.
• Increased leverage for disruptive technologies leading to increased global competition - A consequence of the commoditization of larger bundled solutions based around middleware-integrated components is that industries long protected by high barriers to entry, such as telecom and aerospace, are more vulnerable to disruptive technologies and global competition, which drive prices to marginal cost. For example, advances in high-performance COTS hardware combined with real-time and fault tolerant middleware services are simplifying the development of predictable and dependable network elements. Systems incorporating these network elements, ranging from PBXs to high-speed backbone routers-and ultimately carrier class switches and services built around these components-can now use standard hardware and software components that are less expensive than legacy proprietary systems, yet which are becoming nearly as dependable.
• Potential complexity cap for next-generation systems - Although current middleware solves a number of the basic problems of distribution and heterogeneity, many challenging research problems remain. In particular, problems of scale, diversity of operating environments, and required level of trust in the sustained and correctly functioning operation of next-generation systems have the potential to outstrip what can be built. Without significantly improved capabilities in a number of areas, we may reach a point where the limits of our starting points put a ceiling on the size and levels of complexity for future systems. Without an investment in fundamental R&D to invent, develop, and popularize the new middleware capabilities needed to realistically and cost-effectively construct next-generation network-centric applications, the anticipated move towards large-scale distributed "systems of systems" in many domains may not materialize. Even if it does, it will likely do so with intolerably high risk because of inadequate COTS middleware support for proven, repeatable, and reliable solutions. The additional complexity forced into the realm of application development will only exacerbate the already high rate of project failures experienced for complex distributed systems.

The preceding discussion outlines the fundamental drivers that led to the emergence of middleware architectures and components in the previous decade, and will of necessity lead to more advanced middleware capabilities in this decade. This paper explores these topics in depth, with detailed evaluations of where we are, and where we need to go, with respect to middleware.

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